Inky Caps

Description:

Delicate, gray-white caps with white stalks. Cap margins were curling upward from age. The largest cap diameter was about 4cm. The stems and caps were very fragile.

Habitat:

Growing in the grass on the side of a pond.

Notes:

Inky caps have gills that partially liquefy as the mushroom matures. While the "ink" produced from the liquefying gills can actually be used as writing ink, it has a much more important function from the perspective of the mushroom. Liquefying the gills is actually a very clever strategy for efficient spore dispersal. The gills liquefy from the bottom up as the spores mature. As this happens, the cap peels up and the maturing spores are thus always kept in the best position for catching the wind for dispersal.